【Sea and River Night Talk】Do you know how the saying \"rarity makes things valuable\" came about?

Bai Juyi did not marry until the age of 35, when he took Yang, the sister of his colleague Yang Rushi, as his wife. Their married life was harmonious, but Bai Juyi faced a common problem encountered by many couples who marry late: by the time he had children, he was already in his forties or fifties, an age at which one would typically be a grandfather in ancient times. One year after their marriage, Bai Juyi and Ms. Yang had their first daughter, named Jin Luanzǐ. Bai Juyi regarded this daughter as a treasure; on her first birthday, he wrote a poem that read, “I am about to turn forty, and I have a daughter named Jin Luanzǐ.” \"At one year old, they begin to walk but cannot speak,\" it also says, \"If not for early death, there are marriage concerns.\" My plan to return to the mountains will have to be delayed by fifteen years.” If this daughter had not died in childhood, I would have taken good care of arranging her marriage when she grew up. Bai Juyi said this perhaps because he was old, feeling anxious about having been granted a daughter by heaven; it was also a concern stemming from his deep love for his child. With the low standards of medical care in ancient times, it was difficult to cure children once they fell ill, which is why many children failed to grow up healthy.

As expected, not long after Bai Juyi said those words, Jin Luanzi passed away at the age of just three. Bai Juyi was heartbroken; \"In the morning I wept for those I loved, and in the evening I wept for those who were dear to me.\" \"All that is dear has vanished; why stay alive alone?\" I wish I could go with my daughter. Fortunately, by the time Bai Juyi was 45 years old, he had a second daughter, named A’luo. He wrote a poem saying, \"White hair brings sighs, while beautiful eyes share in the sorrow.\" By the lamp lighting cold clothes, the little girl plays by the bed. ”The wife was mending clothes by the light, while the daughter played by the bed – such a heartwarming scene, yet Bai Juyi was deeply worried. At his advanced age and with A’er still so young, he feared that he would have to wait until his hair turned white before he could see her grow up. “Thinking of her crying face, and considering my own old and sick body, I realize that only when my hair is white will I be able to see her become an adult.”

Fortunately, Bai Juyi’s second daughter, A’luo, grew up healthy. When Bai Juyi was 62 years old, A’luo gave birth to another daughter, who was Bai Juyi’s most beloved granddaughter; she was named Yinzhu. Bai Juyi wrote another poem for his beloved granddaughter, titled “Happy on the Minor New Year’s Day: Celebrating the First Month of Talkshi’s Granddaughter.”

This morning, my spouse and I were extremely happy; how else could anyone know? I marvel every day that I had a daughter so late in life; how could I be surprised to have met my granddaughter so late as well? Next, the lines \"Rarity makes things precious, and age brings greater kindness\" express Bai Juyi’s feelings of having only one daughter who grew up healthy. Things in the world become more valuable because of their rarity, and human emotions become more kind and gentle as one ages. Since Bai Juyi had only such a rare daughter and only such a lovely granddaughter, how could he not dote on her even more? As the new year brings such an auspicious day, it is the perfect time to give her granddaughter a name, as she has reached one month old. Use osmanthus to scent the flowers and fruits, wash one’s delicate skin in orchid bath water; with a lovely granddaughter to hold in one’s arms, why must it be a son?

““The rarer something is, the more valuable it is” is a proverb often used; it originates from Ge Hong’s work ‘Baopuzi·Mingben’ from the Jin dynasty. Since Bai Juyi’s poem ‘Happy to Celebrate the First Month of Life of My Daughter-in-Law’s Granddaughter’ has become more widely known, the second part of this proverb, “Love grows deeper with age,” also seems all the more touching when considered in the context of the poem. “\"Love grows more tender with age\" and \"Rarity makes things precious\" can also be considered timeless truths in this context. The phrase \"Love grows more tender with age\" describes the state of a person in old age – after having gone through the trials of time, such a person becomes more understanding and takes things more lightly, which in turn makes them more peaceful; as a result, they show greater kindness toward their descendants.

If one has someone to hold in their arms, why must it be a man?

Busting the preference for boys over girls started with Lao Bai